Above: Historical Fiction panel at UK Crime Book Club Live, June 2023. From left to right: Caroline Marston (Organiser), Frances Brody (author of the Kate Shackleton Mysteries), T.G. Campbell, and Chris Speck (Author of The Great Frost)
At the point of writing, it’s officially two weeks until the Books on the Beach book signing event in Blackpool on Saturday 17th August 2024. The first book signing event I did was the UK Lit Fest in Bradford in 2018. It was only two years after I’d published The Case of the Curious Client, so I only had that book and The Case of the Lonesome Lushington to sell on my table. Therefore, I filled the space with my display, leaflets, and antiques etc. I also took a great deal more copies of the books than I needed. How do you gauge the number of copies to take, though? In this month’s blog, I’m going to explore the answer to this question and more in the hope it may help others who are doing their first book signing event this year.
Know your event
It may sound obvious but find out as much information as you can about the event you’re booked to attend as a signing author. This should include location (including distance, accessibility, etc), the genre (is it a multi-genre event, etc), the names of the other authors attending (if known), number of tickets sold, and format. The last is arguably one of the more important aspects as book signing events attended by traditionally published authors tend to be different to those attended by indie / self-published authors.
Events with traditionally published authors tend to comprise of panels / interviews with time set aside afterward for the signing of books. In contrast, events with indie / self-published authors tend to comprise of a roomful of tables, each assigned to a different author, which readers can visit. They can also talk to the author(s) for as long as they wish and buy signed copies of their books. There may be panels / interviews in addition to the room at an indie / self-published author event, but these can be limited and (sometimes) held in the same room.
Design your display
Whether you’ve booked a full table (6ft) or a half table (3ft), that space is your blank canvas to showcase your books and brand. I’ve used a multitude of techniques to arrange my books and free merchandise, AKA “swag.” How you arrange your table will depend upon the number of titles / copies you’ve brought, but there are still a few things to consider regardless of numbers:
Height
Consider stacking books at various heights on your table. This creates a visually interesting display similar to those seen by readers in mainstream bookshops and libraries. You should also consider using professional clear-plastic book holders to stand your books upright on the top of each stack.
Keep your books accessible
In addition to creating the display, I also lay a line of my books (in order if they are part of a series) along the front of my table for readers to pick up and look at if they wish. Often, readers don’t want to disrupt a beautiful display (even if we want them to). Having the books at the front means they can pick them up and put them down without having an effect on the rest of the table.
Space is your friend
It may be tempting to fill every inch of your table, but an overfilled table can be as daunting to a reader as a perfectly poised display. If there is no logic / system behind the contents of your table, it can also give readers the impression you don’t care about showcasing your work (which isn’t the case).
Showcase your brand
Most businesses have three colours for their corporate branding. Mine is red, black and white. If you can, buy table decorations which fit with your brand’s colours. It’s also worth investing in a table runner with your logo / brand printed on the front (so it hangs down the front of the table), as this draws the reader’s eye and gives consistency to the branding of your table.
Keep freebies to a minimum
It’s tempting to pile the free merchandise onto your table (especially if you only have a couple of titles), but you have to keep in mind the reason you’re at the event: to sell books. Make sure the free merchandise you do have is relevant to your books / brand, e.g., bookmarks, pens etc with your logo on, character guide, etc. Also, keep the purchase cost of your free merchandise to a minimum (without compromising on quality) as, ultimately, you’re not recouping the cost like you would if you were selling it.
How many copies of my books should I take?
This is where knowing how many tickets have been sold is important. Creating / publishing a book reservation form (usually on Google forms) for readers to complete ahead of time will also help you judge how many books you should take. The answer to this question is very much an art rather than a science, though. I’m still trying to get to grips with it myself.
When I attended the UK Indie Lit Fest for the first time, I took 40 copies of each title and had a lot left. When I attended the last Books on the Beach event, I took 15 copies of each title and still had some left. This time, I plan to take approximately 15 of The Case of the Curious Client (because it’s the first in the series) but only 5 copies each of the remaining 5 titles in the series. I’ll also be taking approximately 10 copies of 2 titles from the Bow Street Society Casebook short story collection series (as these are smaller).
A lot of tickets may have been sold but, at an indie / self-published event, there are usually 40+ authors attending and selling their books. Not every reader can afford to buy a book from every author (and you might not write in their preferred genre, besides). Therefore, it’s good to bring less with the hope of selling out, than taking twice of what you’re realistically going to sell and have hordes of books to bring back.
Have fun!
The best piece of advice I can give to anyone attending their first book signing is: have fun. Events are a fantastic way to meet new and existing fans of your books, meet fellow authors, and generally have a great day out. Many (if not all) indie / self-published book signing events are organised and run by dedicated volunteers for little to no profit (if any profit is made, it’s usually put back in the pot for next year’s event). Organising and running such events isn’t easy, but it’s also highly satisfying and rewarding. Take the time to visit the other authors’ tables, have a chat, buy some books, and thank the organisers / volunteers. You’ll find you’ll make some great friends, some of which may become lifelong.
~ T.G. Campbell,August 2024
Bow Street Society logo artwork by Heather Curtis: mouseink@gmail.com
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